hill wife

beside the grave
the ties gave

was she there
everywhere

in the fern
or return

when he called her
of black alder

on her lips
the fresh chips

or felled tree
she was free

and no child
and too wild

Copyright Credit: Jody Gladding, "hill wife" from Translations from Bark Beetle. Copyright © 2014 by Jody Gladding.  Reprinted by permission of Milkweed Editions. www.milkweed.org
Source: Translations from Bark Beetle (Milkweed Editions, 2014)